Combined bar support and spacer



Feb. 17, 1942. |-||L| BERG COMBINED BAR SUPPORT AND SPACER Filed. July3, 1939 a W a Patented Feb. 17, 1942 COMBINED BAR SUPPORT AND SPACERBror Hillberg, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, toSuperior Concrete Accessories, Chicago, 111., a partnership consistingof Lawrence H. Umbach, Ruth M. Umbach, and Bror Hillberg ApplicationJuly 3, 1939, Serial N0. 282,587

4 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to combined supports and spacersfor bars. More particularly the invention relates to that type ofcombined support and spacer which is adapted to rest on a form forconcrete, serves during pouring of concrete into the form to support inparallel relation and a horizontal position a series or set of concretereinforcing bars, and comprises a spacer rod beneath and at right anglesto the reinforcing bars, and a series of upstanding U- shaped wireformed chairs which are secured to and spaced equidistantly along thespacer rod and have the upper ends of their side pieces shaped to formabove the spacer rod open-top restricted entrance pockets for the bars.

One object of the invention is to provide a combined bar support andspacer which is generally of new and improved construction and hascertain advantages over previously designed combined supports andspacers of the same general character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined support andspacer of the aforementioned type in which the upstanding U- shaped wireformed chairs have legs of novel design for holding them against tiltingor tipping with respect to the concrete form on which they are placed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a combined supportand spacer of the type andcharacter under consideration in which thecentral or intermediate pieces of the legs for holding the chairsagainst tilting or tipping are positioned horizontally and in parallelrelation with the portions of the spacerrod beneath or at the bottom ofthe pockets and form auxiliary seats or supporting means for thereinforcing bars.

A still further object of the invention is to providea combined barsupport and spacer which may be manufactured at an extremely low costand .is so designed or constructed that it is sturdy and durable and inaddition effectively and efficiently fulfills its intended purpose.

Other objects of the invention and the various advantages andcharacteristics of the present combined support and spacer for bars willbe apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which arehereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by claims at theconclusion hereof.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specificationor disclosure and in which like numerals of reference denotecorresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective of a combined bar support and spacer embodyingthe invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective of one of the chairs, illustratingin detail the arrangement and design of its side pieces and supportingleg;

Figure 3 is a side View of the chair of Figure 2, showing or disclosingin detail the manner in which the horizontally extending part of the legof the chair serves as an auxiliary bar seat or support; and

Figure 4 is a plan of the chair of Figures 2 and 3.

The combined support and spacer which is shown in the drawingconstitutes the preferred embodiment of the invention. It is adapted tosupport a series or set of parallel concrete reinforcing bars B in ahorizontal position above a concrete form (not shown). It iscontemplated that the combined support and spacer be placed on the formand that the bars B then be mounted in place on the support and spacerin order that they are held in proper spaced relation during pouring ofthe concrete into the form. As its parts the combined support and spacerconsists of a horizontally extending spacer rod 5 and a series or set ofU-shaped chairs 6. The chairs underlie, and correspond in number to, thebars B and are spaced equidistantly along the spacer rod 5. They areformed of comparatively stiff wire and comprise intermediate bottompieces I, and pairs of upstanding side pieces 8 and 9. The intermediatebottom pieces 1 are straight, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 8, and areadapted when the combined support and spacer is in place with respect tothe concrete form to rest flatly on the form. The side pieces 8 and 9 ofthe chairs are formed integrally with the ends of the bottom pieces 1.They extend upwardly and inwardly and have the upper extremities thereofbent outwardly to form or define open top restricted entrance pockets IDfor the reinforcing bars B. The spacer bar 5 bears against and extendsacross the central portions of the side pieces 8 and 9 of the chairs andis positioned at such an elevation or height above the bottom pieces Ithat the portions thereof that overlie the bottom pieces define straighthorizontal seats I l at the bottom of the pockets ID. The abuttingportions of the spacer bar 5 and the side pieces 8 of the chairs arewelded together with the result that the spacer bar is rigidly connectedto the chairs and serves to hold the latter in spaced relation. The sidepieces 9 of the chairs are free as far as the spacer rod 5 is concernedand as a result they are free to flex laterally to and from the sidepieces 8. The reinforcing bars B are adapted to be inserted into thepockets ID by urging or shifting them downwards between the upperextremities of the side pieces 8 and 9 of the chairs 6 and thence pastthe bent portions of such extremities into abutment with the seats II.By having the upper extremities of the side pieces bent outwards, thebars may be readily inserted into the pockets. During downward shift ofthe bars into the pockets the side pieces 9 of the chairs are sprungoutwards, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 3. When the bars are inplace in the pockets l they are disposed beneath the bent portions ofthe upper extremities of the side pieces and are wedged or urgeddownwards into firm engagement or abutting relation with the seats I I.

In addition to the bottom pieces 1 and the side pieces 8 and 9, thechairs 6 comprise integral legs I2. These legs serve or operate toprevent the chairs from tilting or tipping with respect to the concreteform and are positioned in spaced relation with the side pieces 8 and 9of the chairs. They are preferably of the same diameter as the otherpieces or parts of the chairs and are bent to form vertically extendinglower end pieces i3, horizontally extending intermediate pieces I4,vertical upper end pieces i5, and horizontally extending connectingpieces 16. The connecting pieces I6 extend at right amgles to the bottompieces I of the chairs and project between, and are connected to, theupper extremities of the side pieces 8 and the upper extremities of theupper end pieces i5. They serve to space the legs it from the spacer rodand are of such length that the legs l2 are at such a distance from thebottom pieces I that they effectively and efficiently prevent tilting ofthe chairs. The lower end pieces 13 of the chair legs are adapted torest against the concrete form, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, and arepositioned in opposed relation with the side pieces 9. The horizontallyextending intermediate pieces E4 of the legs are positioned in parallelrelation with the seats H and form auxiliary seats for the bars B. Theupper end pieces l5 are bent so that they substantially conform in shapeto the upper bent extremities of the side pieces 8. Because the legs l2are connected to the side pieces 8 and the latter in turn are welded tothe spacer bar 5, the legs are in rigid relation with the spacer bar anddo not tilt vertically out of place or position during entry of thereinforcing bars B into the pockets i0. Preferably every other one ofthe chairs are positioned or located at one side of the spacer rod 5 andthe alternate chairs are positioned at the other side of the spacer rod.As a result of this arrangement the combined spacer support is subjectto no tilting or tipping action whatsoever when it is in place.

When it is desired to use the combined support and spacer the latter isplaced on the concrete form in a horizontal position and with the bottompieces 7 and the lower end pieces i 3 of the chairs 6 in contact orabutment with the form. Thereafter the bars B are shifted downwards intoseated relation with the seats 1 l and the horizontal seat formingintermediate pieces I4 of the legs l2. When the bars B are in place withrespect to the chairs they are held parallelly and horizontally and invertically spaced relation with the form. Because the bars B are clampedor wedged in the pockets 10 as the result of the action of the upperextremities of the side pieces 9 they are effectively held in placeduring pouring of the concrete into the form.

The herein described combined support and spacer is extremely simple indesign and effectively fulfills its intended purpose as the result ofthe arrangement, design and construction of the legs I2 of the chairs.By having the intermediate pieces M of the legs extend horizontally andform auxiliary supporting seats for the bars, the bars are efficientlyheld against relative tiltmg.

The inventicn is not to be understood as restricted to the details setforth, since these may be modified Within the scope of the appendedclaims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A combined support and spacer for parallel substantially horizontalbars, comprising a spacer rod at right angles to and beneath the bars, aseries of laterally spaced chairs positioned along and secured to therod, associated with the bars respectively, and having pairs of opposedside pieces in contact with the rod and shaped to form with the adjacentportions of the rod open top pockets for receiving and supporting thebars, and upstanding legs for preventing tilting of the chairs connectedto said chairs and having pieces disposed in opposed and parallelrelation with said adjacent portions of the rod and arranged to formauxiliary seats for supporting the bars from beneath.

2. A combined support and spacer for parallel substantially horizontalbars, comprising a horizontal spacer rod beneath and at right angles tothe bars, a series of laterally spaced U- shaped chairs positioned alongand secured to the spacer rod, associated with the bars respectively,and having the upper portions of the side pieces thereof in contact withthe rod and shaped to form with the adjacent portions of said rod opentop pockets for supporting the bars, and upstanding legs for preventingtilting of the chairs connected at the upper ends thereof to the upperextremities of certain of said side pieces and having substantiallystraight horizontally extending pieces in opposed and parallel relationwith said adjacent portions of the rod and arranged to form auxiliaryseats for supporting the bars from beneath.

3. A combined support and spacer for parallel substantially horizontalbars, comprising a horizontal spacer rod beneath and at ri ht angles tothe bars, a series of laterally spaced U- shaped chairs along the spacerrod, associated with the bars respectively and each having the centralportions of its side pieces fitting against the adjacent portion of therod and the upper ends of said side pieces shaped to form with saidadjacent portion of the rod an open top bar receiving and supportingpocket and in addition having the central portion of one of its sidepieces connected fixedly to the spacer rod and its other side piece freewith respect to said rod and adapted to flex to and from the one sidepiece, and single tilt preventing legs for the chairs respectivelyhaving the upper ends thereof connected to the upper extremities of thechair side pieces that are fixedly connected to the spacer rod, andhaving horizontal intermediate pieces positioned in opposed and parallelrelation with said adjacent portions of the rod and shaped and arrangedto form auxiliary seats for supporting the bars from beneath.

4. A combined support and spacer adapted to hold a series of reinforcingbars in parallel relation and a substantially horizontal position abovea concrete form and comprising a horizontal spacer rod beneath and atright angles to the bars and spaced above the form, a series oflaterally spaced U-shaped chairs along the spacer rod, associated withthe bars respectively, and each having the central portions of its sidepieces fitting against the adjacent portion of the spacer rod and theupper ends of said side pieces shaped to form with said adjacent portionof the spacer rod an open top bar receiving and supporting pocket and inaddition having the central portion of one of its side pieces connectedfixedly to the spacer rod and its other side piece completely free withrespect to the spacer rod and adapted to flex to and from the one sidepiece, and single tilt preventing legs for the chairs respectivelypositioned in opposed relation with said chairs and having cross-piecesat their upper ends extending at substantially right angles to thespacer rod and attached to the upper extremities of the side pieces thatare connected fixedly to said spacer rod, and having horizontallyextending intermediate pieces disposed in parallel relation with and atthe same level as the spacer rod and serving to form auxiliary seats forsupporting the bars from beneath.

BROR HILLBERG.

